A day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 16,000 new COVID cases in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed the agency's new masking guidance while speaking at a conservative conference in Utah.
On Tuesday, the CDC recommended that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors if they live in areas with high rates of virus transmission.
DeSantis told the American Legislative Exchange Council on Wednesday that Americans are free to live their lives free of government-imposed restrictions.
"They should not be consigned to live in a Faucian dystopia in which we're governed by the whims of bureaucratic authorities who care little for our freedoms, little for our aspirations and little for our happiness," DeSantis said.
DeSantis joined fellow Republicans at the conference to denounce lockdowns, restrictions and other mandates.
“It is very important that we say unequivocally no to lockdowns, no to school closures, no to restrictions and no to mandates,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis also joked about the CDC guidelines while speaking before about 450 unmasked attendees in Salt Lake City, saying, “Did you not get the CDC’s memo? I don’t see you complying.”
Utah is not yet taking any steps to follow the CDC’s recommendations on masks, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Back home, Florida reported the highest daily number of new cases since January on Tuesday. And it was the seventh consecutive day in which Florida reported more than 12,000 new cases.
Information from the Associated Press and News Service of Florida was used in this report.
